Best short-haul holiday destinations: Suva, Fiji

The bottom line Six hours from Sydney (3215 km), including a stopover in Nadi; six hours 15 minutes from Melbourne (3911 km) with a two-hour time difference (AEST) between Sydney and Melbourne.

Why go Fiji’s overlooked Melanesian-Indian fused capital may seem a wildcard in this guide, yet this overlooked gem is home to a third of Fiji’s population, is one of the most cosmopolitan centres in the South Pacific and has a great nightlife. If that’s not enough it’s also the perfect base from which to explore less visited corners of the island nation.

Duration of stay Four days.

See + do Visit the noisy and festive Suva Municipal Market, located in the heart of the city, and you’ll truly understand the cosmopolitan nature of Suva. Check out Fijian artefacts at the Fiji Museum (fijimuseum.org.fj) with archaeological collections dating back nearly 4000 years. Included are a 13-metre-long double-hulled traditional canoe (drua) and the rudder from the famous HMS Bounty. In Colo-I-Suva Forest Park (fiji.travel), you can hike through lush rainforest trails that lead to cascading waterfalls. The park, home to 14 bird species, is just 10 minutes from Suva’s CBD. Meanwhile, see the South Pacific’s most endangered and exotic endemic plant species at Suva’s main recreation area, Thurston Gardens (fiji.travel) on the edge of the city.

Eat + drink Suva was once home to a fleet of floating restaurants on its harbour. Now all that remains is Tikos Seafood Restaurant, and you won’t find fresher seafood in Fiji. Eat with the who’s who of Suva at Kanu (kanufiji.com) where Fiji’s best-regarded chef, Lance Seeto, creates dishes that fuse traditional Fijian and Fijian-Indian cuisine. Suva has Fiji’s best nightlife with an impressive offering of bars and nightclubs. Join Suva’s after-work crowd for happy hour from 5pm to 7pm at Dogfather Sports Bar – the cocktails are Suva’s best.

Stay Suva ain’t Denarau, but there’s no finer colonial hotel in the South Pacific than the Grand Pacific Hotel (grandpacifichotel.com.fj). During her reign Queen Elizabeth stayed there four times. Enjoy sunsets over the water 10 minutes’ drive from Suva’s CBD at the well-priced Novotel Suva Lami Bay (novotelsuvalamibay.com-fiji.com) or take a 30-minute boat ride to the more expensive Toberua Private Island (toberua.com) and stay in one of eight bures.

Detour Take a ferry back in time to Fiji’s first capital, Levuka (levukafiji.com; whc.unesco.org), on the island of Ovalau. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s the best remaining example of a South Pacific colonial port town. Centuries-old buildings built beside the sea are surrounded by verdant mountains.

Essentials Fiji Airways (fijiairways.com) has the best connections to Suva with only a short layover in Nadi and Australian passport holders do not have to apply for a visa before travelling to Fiji. Visit in spring and autumn to avoid the busiest months of winter and summer’s heavier rainfall. See fiji.travel